97% of people in the least evangelized countries live in the 10/40 Window.
2.7 Billion Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims live in the 10/40 Window.
82% of the poorest of the poor live in the 10/40 Window.
The vast majority of the un-reached people of our world live in a rectangular shaped "window" which extends from West Africa to East Asia, from ten degrees north to forty degrees north of the equator. |
This specific region, also called "The Resistant Belt," encompasses the majority of the world's Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists - billions of spiritually impoverished souls. Sixty-four countries which have been identified as the most spiritually impoverished fall within or near the boundaries of the 10/40 window.
There are several reasons why this portion of the map is so strategic to those serious about the Great Commission:
The Biblical significance of the area is evident as the cradle of civilization, in Mesopotamia, lies in the heart of the 10/40 Window. From there, following the great flood and the dispersal of languages and nations, civilization filled first the 10/40 Window, across North Africa and east across Asia. All of Biblical history takes place in this region until finally Paul's second missionary journey ventures north across its boundaries.
The "un-evangelized" are people who may have a minimal knowledge of the Gospel, but have had no valid opportunity to respond to it. Containing only one third of the earth's land area, it holds two thirds of the worlds population, nearly 4 Billion. Of the but they contain 97% of the total population in all 50 of those countries.
There are currently over 700 million adherents of Islam across Northern Africa and the Middle East, over 700 million living under Hinduism in India and Nepal, and an estimated 600 million Buddhists across East Asia and China. Even in China after nearly 50 years of Communist religious suppression, Buddhism is a predominant influence, mixed in with adherents of animism, mysticism, folklore and occult practice. By the year 2000 AD, it is anticipated that the numbers will climb to over 1 billion each Muslims and Hindus.
The vast majority of the world's least evangelized mega cities (those with populations in excess of one million) are within the 10/40 window. In fact, all 50 of the top 50 on this list are in the 10/40 Window.
Because they are un-reached, because they have been kept from the transforming power of the Gospel, the prince of this world has been uninhibited in establishing tremendous strongholds. They are examples of the truth of 2 Cor 4:4, which tells us, "the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
Over 90% of individuals living in yet un-reached ethno linguistic people groups live within the frame of the 10/40 Window. If we take seriously the need to take the Gospel to "every tribe," we need to focus on where they live!
Over 80% of the poorest of the poor -- 2.4 billion of them equaling half of the world's population, existing on less than $500 per year each -- live within the 10/40 Window. And yet, only 8% of all Christian missionaries work among them! At the Laussane II conference, for which Christians from 170 countries gathered in Manila in 1989, we were reminded that Luke's emphasis that "the gospel is the good news for the poor (Luke 4:18; 6:20; 7:22)." The Manila manifesto states "We have been reminded that the law, the prophets, the wisdom books, and the teaching and ministry of Jesus all stress God's concern for the materially poor and our consequent duty to defend and care for them."
Statistical information courtesy of AD2000 and Beyond. Our great appreciation for the excellent research they have done.
